Behind Closed Doors 2 (Creepypasta fanfic)
by A Scribbler
Summary: Things are still unbalanced after the last adventure with Slender's proxies, and they are not going to be improving anytime soon. People are still missing, offers have yet to be made and revenge is near. Safety is a lie and the secrets go deeper than expected. Can balance be restored in time? Or will the Sickness consume everyone in the end? Not even Slender knows...
1. Time Has Passed

**A/N:**

**Helloooo readers! My god has it been a long time! But here it is, finally, the sequel to my first Creepypasta fanfic, Behind Closed Doors! I'm so sorry for the long wait, it's been stressful and busy at best around here. But still it's here now! **

**WARNING: If you haven't read the first one, then I suggest you do or else you'll be majorly confused. Please read that one first! Also, please remember that this is going to be a long story, so the first three chapters will be setting the stage for the actual plot, please be patient and stick with me!**

**Thanks again guys, I've missed you and I can't wait to hear from you again! And now, onwards readers! XD**

Slender sat at his desk, long pale fingers drumming among the papers. No luck. For the past month, there had been no luck. Of course the routine and 'business' as it were continued as normal, there was no place for it not to be. But neither he nor his proxies were stupid, they all knew that a storm was brewing. The last discussion he had taken part in with Zalgo had not gone exactly as smoothly as he had made out.

Offers and deals. That is all it came down to. Business to one, a way of life for the other. Although after all this time, the distinction of who fell into which category had become blurred. Slender made deals to protect his proxies and continue his existence in the human world, Zalgo made deals to feed and control. And the deal still stood that if Slender gave a considerable amount of souls to devour from his own collection, he would be permitted to keep his proxies. But that offer was feeble and already fractured right down the middle.

One of the first rules when dealing with a demon, or a proxy for that matter, is that you never give your full name. And poor Jack, Eyeless Jack as the modern world liked to fictionalise him as; had broken that rule. Not that Slender blamed the boy, far from it. Jack was barely sixteen years old when he was recruited, and was not in the most stable of minds when found. He was scared, and trapped in his own personalised hell so to speak. It made sense for him to crack and seek help from the first that offered it. And unfortunately that had been Zalgo. The only thing to do now was to continue searching for him. Before Zalgo makes another move.

"Sir?"

Slender looked up from his desk to see a tall figure dressed in a dark cloak, the way it wisped and flowed giving the illusion that it could well have been the shadows he was dressed in. Dark hair was neatly tucked under a hood, milky eyes quizzical but respectful towards the mentor.

_Yes, Shadow Lurker... What is it...?_ Slender asked, his smooth, powerful voice echoing telepathically into his lead proxy's mind.

Shad, as he had been nicknamed over the years, looked reluctant, but he had to ask, "Something doesn't feel right, Sir, I can't put my finger on it but... Have you found anything new?"

_I'm afraid not... Jack is still hidden under Zalgo's Sickness... And as for the others..._

"We can't be sure that Masky and Hoody are with him, you said so yourself." There was no denying the uncertainty in the half-demons tone.

_Quite right... We continue the search as usual and something will change... Zalgo, as far as we know, only has Jack to work with and that is a factor we can manage... It is just a matter of waiting for Zalgo to get overconfident and slip up for us... _Slender noted a flicker of something else in Shad's expression, _You may speak freely..._

"Thank you, Sir. I was just wondering that... You know I am not the sort to rush into something we are not completely prepared for; which is why I am thinking that perhaps there is someone we could talk to who would be able to help us. Forgive me if it's out of line but..." He braced himself, "But Rochelle has learnt so much about the Sickness realm in her confinement that it would be of use to us and-"

_That is enough thank you, Shadow Lurker..._ Slender snapped suddenly, _We are quite prepared as it is... And... You know that we do not speak of her..._

Shad looked down, fully aware of what had happened all those decades ago. He felt ashamed for bringing it up, knowing how it hurt his mentor despite the attempt at covering it up, "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry."

Slender sighed, feeling a moment of guilt at the unintended harshness of his tone, _Don't apologise, Shadow Lurker... Now, if you wouldn't mind I'd like you to send Beatrix to me with the latest targets and then see if Jeffery is finished on his job..._

"Yes, Sir. And, Sir, I know I've spoken out of line once already, but may I just say one more thing?"

_You may..._

Again, he braced himself, "Please tell the others the full story. They chose to stay; it makes sense to let them know all of the reasons why."

* * *

Trixie's heart hammered against her ribs almost painfully. Why was she here? Why did she have to do this? It wasn't fair. As childish as that sounded, it really wasn't. The scenery was dark to say the least, the silhouettes of trees were just barely visible as she scanned through them, searching for a light, a sign, anything! This didn't make sense, but that's what scared her the most. The unknown. After what she'd been through in the past, after the couple of months staying with these people... The unknown shouldn't be this much of an issue. But it couldn't be helped. The sounds of grass and sticks crunching echoed in her ears, the occasional snap making her flinch. But she continued. Just a little further and it would be over. She just had to keep goi-

"_GET OUT!_"

Trixie jumped near out of her skin, having to slap a hand over her mouth to muffle a shriek of panic at the gruesome face suddenly screaming at her. The empty eyes glared in a murderous hatred, claws reaching for her maliciously. And then... Everything went silent and black. The woods faded from view, the face melting with it. And the bold red writing of a 'GAME OVER' flashed on screen.

She caught her breath and shut the laptop, eyes closed as she tried to steady her heart rate, "Jesus..."

"I think that's the sound of a satisfactory review." A sly chuckle observed at her side, belonging to a hovering figure with unhealthily pale skin and blackened eyes, red pupils alight with mischief, "So you think it's a keeper?"

"Ben..." She looked up at the ghost, his green attire matching a certain game character perfectly, a half scowl on her face, "I've said before, I don't like jump scares. Why on earth do you still give them to me?"

"Mostly because they're fun, but also because it's my job. Reactions are everything." He smirked, nodding to indicate her small case of the shakes, "And you're the only one who gives them to me. It seems everyone else here is too immune to the disturbing."

"That's not a good thing..." She sighed, arms folded and giving him a pointed look.

"Think of it as me trying to train you out of it."

"How kind." she muttered, pushing her sandy blonde bangs from her face only to have it flop back again instantly.

"Anyone would think you don't like playing with me." He said wryly, leaning in to deliberately invade her personal space.

Being used to this now after a few months in living there, Trixie simply turned the other way and stood up, collecting her sketches that she had been asked to deliver to Slender that afternoon. She was aware of Ben still watching her, she figured that was just his natural face and hadn't been proved wrong yet. Like Jeff's glower or Toby's grin, "I don't mind gaming, I just don't like being a test dummy on games like that."

"I know."

She rolled her eyes, knowing it was best to change the subject at this point. Mind games her his speciality, no point in dwelling on them too long, "Anyway... I uh, I've got to take these to Slender. Do you know if Jeff or Alice are around, some of these are for them."

A shrug, "Jeff's working and Alice is somewhere."

That didn't help, but she wasn't going to say that, "Oh, alright. Well if you see them-"

"I know the drill. I've gotten practice since we're down a few proxies as of late."

The bite in his tone didn't sit well with her for some reason, "That's not fair."

"It's honest."

"Yeah but... Forget it." She sighed, voice quiet.

As she turned to leave the room, he swooped around to land in front of her, eyebrow arched quizzically, "I'm listening."

One look and she knew he wasn't letting up on this, "I just don't think it's fair for you to make out like it's their fault..." she muttered, not making eye contact, "Jack didn't ask to be taken, he didn't know... I can't speak for the other two since I haven't met them, but don't blame Jack because he was scared and alone."

Ben didn't change his expression, and he didn't change his beliefs. If you were stupid enough to hand your name over to a demon then it was your own hard luck. But he could see where she was coming from. Jack handing over the name was his own fault, but his actions after were Zalgo's, "Everyone to their own, Trix."

Was he really going to just drop it? Of course he was. "I guess..."

She flinched when he poked her shoulder, delivering a static shock, "Enough with the dramatics, Trix, it's depressing."

"Will you stop that?" she asked, rubbing her shoulder with a semi-scowl, not wanting to push her luck.

He winked and moved around her to return to the abandoned laptop, not bothering to give her a second glance as he snickered to himself, "Nope. Enjoy your deliveries."

He confused her, but then again they all did for different reasons. But Trixie didn't want to stay to argue. As usual she took the escape opportunity when she could and gave a small nod of acknowledgment before hurrying out into the corridor. That was just part of the routine she'd fallen into in the past few months. You do your job, you put up with the others toying with you in some of their own twisted mind game, and you left to hide in your room. It was simple. Even if it did involve Ben being part of it more often than the others, but let's face it he was a ghost who was often deprived of outdoor experiences. He sought out any entertainment he could. Trixie had come to realise that she just had the poor luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and thus her position as the newbie and the group's plaything was still going strong.

Trixie wondered down the corridors of the warehouse-like building that she now lived in along with the terrors that so many people assumed were just stories. Killers, ghosts, demons, and things she was sure she hadn't even come across yet. She just thanked god, if there was one, she wasn't sure anymore; that she had turned out to be a Passive proxy rather than Active. As a Passive, it was her job to track down the targets that the Active's would then go out to kill. The Sickness in her system, along with the brand of the Slenderman embedded in the skin of her left shoulder, enabled her to get unfortunate images flicker into her mind. They painting pictures of victims and it was her job to draw them in detail before handing them to Slender. Active's took over from there.

As was the life of a proxy. And some days Trixie found herself wondering if her old life had been nothing but a dream. One day she was just your average nineteen-year-old girl in college, the next her parents and younger brother had been brutally if accidentally murdered by none other than internet fictional killers. Since she was unfortunately witness to these murders, that meant the Sickness was passed to her, and she had the choice to either go insane from it with the world believing her to be her families killer, or accept the Sickness and become a proxy to a demon. Slenderman. Wanting to prove mostly to herself that she was innocent, she accepted. And here she was. Sickness, a demons' influence, could make you relive your worst nightmares in a personal hell with no escape. But if used correctly, it stopped your aging process and bound you to the demon it came from, and you belonged to them. Of course, after past experiences, Slender had given then all the choice to leave. But no one took it. The outside world had no place for the proxies now. Either too fond of the kill, scared of the norm, or just plain undead; this was the safest place. Ironic, she knew, but she was grateful for it.

"Incoming!"

"Wha- Oh!" She gasped and backed herself against the wall just in time as a large dog sprinted down the corridor. Black fur patched around its strong body, revealing large amounts of burnt, raw skin around its muzzle and belly. Large, unnaturally human teeth held something orange and round, "Smile? Smile, come he- And you're gone..."

"Hey Trix!"

She turned her head to see a boy about her age skidding down the hall to stop by her, a mess of brown hair sticking out from under a green hood, his mouth hidden behind a metal mask or sorts, but eyes bright and on show, "Hi, Toby. Um, does Smile have your goggles?"

"Yeah! We were playing tug-of-war and... Well you saw what happened next." He chuckled, pointing in the direction Smile was running. His shoulder gave a sickening crack, but he didn't seem to notice. What Ticci-Toby did notice though, was the small pile of papers in her hands, "Oooh, anything for me?"

Sometimes it was hard to believe that Toby was a killer. But Trixie had seen him in action, when his hatchet was embedded in her little brother's chest. But that seemed like such a long time ago now, and she had learned to come to terms with it. It wasn't a deliberate kill, it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time on his part. As well as Jeff's... Although Toby no longer scared her, Jeff still did. And everyone knew it.

She shrugged, "I'm not sure, Slender sorts them out now, not me. Since... you know."

His shoulder slumped a little, neck twitching out of an uncontrollable tick, "Yeah. But Slendy will get Jack back soon. Zalgo hasn't got anything on us, we got away from him before so no big deal."

Trixie had to smile, she admired his optimism even if she didn't fully agree with it. Not that she doubted Slender, not by a long shot, but she knew that things were not as simple as beating up the bad guys like in comics and movies, "I guess so."

"Well, I got to get my specs back before Smile chews them out, again. Let me know if Slendy picks me, okay?"

"Will do." She waved him off, feeling her old sense of humour rising again, "Go get him, boy."

He gave a salute, again not flinching when his ligaments cracked, and was off. Almost as fast as the dog he was chasing. Trixie sighed, shaking her head. It turned out that she had to walk in that direction anyway towards the common room and then Slender's office. She couldn't wait to get rid of these and then return to her room. Although she didn't have to see the deaths or murders, drawing the criminals that were soon to be killed by people she lived with really took it out of her. And she often feared that if she didn't take time away from it often, she may truly go insane. But she had to take a leaf out of Toby's book, she'd lasted this long after all.

She tried to make a mental note of how many drawings she'd done and who was putting them to use. Alice had been given three yesterday which were already taken care of, Jeff had a couple lined up but at that moment was on the trail of someone Ben had found. Hmm, looks like it really would be Toby's turn this time. Unless it would be Kate. But then again Kate hadn't been heard from since... Since Jack ran away back to Zalgo. That wasn't really anything to be too worried about. Kate was mostly a freelance Active, as she liked to call herself, staying away for weeks or even months at a time. Big jobs, multiple targets, that kind of thing. In fact, if Trixie hadn't have read Kate's back-story, she would have envied her freedom.

Continuing on her way, Trixie, opened the common room door and found Shad just leaving Slender's office. He blinked at her, "Oh, Beatrix, I was about to go looking for you."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be late or-"

"No need to apologize, Slender was just hoping to prepare for next week's schedule."

"We're that far ahead?" That surprised her, normally the schedules for the others were made before a new week started, not planning ahead. Then again, with the extra searches and security amendments, things were getting more efficient, "Is Slender still waiting for me?"

"He is, although I would tread carefully if I were you." He advised, looking unsure if it was alright so say so, "He's under strain. And I can't quite put my finger on the true reason. We all agree that there are many."

She nodded, "Honestly, I'm worried. He's focussing so much on keeping us safe and trying to keep things moving as usual that he's forgetting that he can get overworked too."

"I'm sure we all are worried in some form or other. Even if some refuse to admit it." He sighed, "Speaking of, I have to go and collect Jeff, he's slacking again."

He'd been doing that a lot lately, but Trixie didn't feel the need to point that out, "Okay, well I'll see you later."

"Perhaps." He nodded his goodbye.

And before her eyes, he seemed to dissolve into the very shadows that swarmed around him. Vanishing from sight and leaving no trace that he was ever there. She waited a moment, always cautious in case he chose to return suddenly and bumped into him. When he didn't come back, she carried on her way into Slender's office. She didn't understand why she cared about this tall, faceless demon. But then again, he had kind of taken her in after everyone had thought she was insane. The same could be said for everyone else here. Instead of abandoning them, leaving them to die, or even killing them himself; Slender had taken them in, made them his proxies as a form of protection against the Sickness. She didn't like to be too sentimental, especially in a place like this. But she couldn't help worrying. And unfortunately, there was a lot to be worried about.

* * *

There is a place that is made of the openings and closings of Sickness. Where demons lurk and feed on the souls of sinners and the weak. Sickness hung thick like fog, dense and would catch in your throat like sand. It would infect your mind, seeping into your worst fear, your defining moment of insanity and force you to relive it. And there was no escape. Unless you handed over your one defence. Your name. There was power in a name, and once someone else had it for themselves, you belonged to them.

Zalgo watched as those in his control fought one another violently. He sneered, enjoying the show. Blood trickled down a young boys face. The boy wore a black hoody, his complexion so pale and sickly that it was practically blue. Eyes empty, black and pouring with liquid Sickness.

"That's enough, my boy, you don't want to hurt yourself. You two, continue."

The others, older and stronger in stature, obeyed blindly. One wore a mustard yellow jacket, a white mask covering his face, the other in an orange hoody, face hidden in darkness. They were once so strong in mind, body and loyalty. Now, they were just as pathetic as the others. And good old Slender wouldn't even see it coming. The two threw punches, grabbing at each other's clothes and trying to cause some serious harm. Not that they were aware of what they were doing. They may as well have been puppets, empty shells of what they had once been.

Zalgo laughed cruelly, watching Jack collapse onto the Sickness, gasping for air, "Such a good boy... Don't you think so, dear?"

Behind him, a female voice giggled just as cruelly. Disjointed and not quite natural, "He's fun to watch. Such a baby though."

"He'll grow stronger in time. Don't you worry."

"What about me? I want to grow stronger too. I want to go and see your _friends_ you've told me so much about."

"In time, you will." He answered knowingly, "And you'll have so much fun..."

The female giggled again, clapping her hands in a disturbingly child-like way, "I can't wait. I'll hurt them, I promise, just like you taught me."

Zalgo reached out a long, misshapen limb, made from darkness and dust, embers burning from his core, patting her head, "I know you will, and why is that?" He asked rhetorically.

"Because I want to make you proud."

He sneered darkly, stretching out his legs to use Jack's motionless body as a footrest while he watched the others battler mercilessly, "And you have done thus far, my dear, so very proud..."

Another giggle, "Thank you, Daddy."

**A/N:**

**So... That was chapter 1 of many! And I hope the questions are building. Who is calling Zalgo 'Daddy'? Will they get Jack and the other proxies back home? How are Jeff and Alice doing? Will Trixie manage to get some answers from Slender? All the questions! Hopefully... Maybe... Remember it's just setting the stage at the moment so please stick with me!**

**Can't wait to hear from you all again! I've missed you! XD**


	2. On With The Show

**A/N:**

**Hi again! Thanks for the welcome back! It's been great hearing from you so far! XD Here's another sort of filler chapter for you, remember I'm still setting up the scene for the story. Please tell me what you think anyway and I look forward to hearing from you XD Also this chapter reintroduces three other characters! Whoo! Anyway, enjoy!**

Trixie lay on her bed with her back curved against the headboard, book in hand and reading in silence. She enjoyed taking time like this to herself, in her own space. In the time she'd been living at the warehouse, she had managed to transform a bare, cold room into something that she could call her own. Of course it was still pretty basic, it wasn't as if she earned money to buy new things, but sometimes Ben could work a few scams online to get new stuff for the group, or one of the others could grab some stuff while on a job. She tried not to look at it as stealing, more like reclaiming as her own.

Some of the plain dust-coloured carpet had been covered by a large dark purple rug, a matching throw draped over the cream sheets of her bed. A desk was pressed against the wall on the left hand side of the door, a computer set up on one half with a space littered with pencils and papers for her drawing on the other. A long shelf was fixed above the desk, filled with a few choice ornaments, movies and books. The wall opposite had a door led to a small on suite bathroom, and another door beside that was her closet. She only owned one photo frame on her bedside table, propped against her lamp, but it didn't include a photograph. But a detailed sketch. Of her parents, and her little brother, smiling together. She'd drawn that not long after she remade her choice to stay as a proxy. Of all the things she feared, forgetting their faces was one of the highest ranking.

She turned the final page of her book, making a mental note to see if she could get some more at some point. It was a pretty good series overall. It had a complicated plot, so it was plenty distracting. She sighed when the last sentence concluded nothing, leaving another false promise to answer all questions in the next instalment. She found nothing more annoying than unnecessary cliff-hangers in stories. For gods sake finish what you started! She blew her bangs from her face and got up to replace the book on her shelf, planning on taking a shower and having an early night. That is, until there was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Hello?" she called. But her only answer was a slow _tap...tap...tap..._ Was that Smile scratching the door maybe? "Hello?"

Again, nothing. Trixie swallowed anxiously and took hold of the door handle, opening it carefully to peer out. At first, she saw nothing but the corridor outside. The door was opened a little wider. And at first, there really was nothing out there. Just the pale wall opposite. And then, suddenly, a white, leathery face darted forward, wide and unblinking eyes glaring down on hers. Teeth bared in a permanent sneer, coating in scars that trailed up its cheeks.

"Go to sleep!"

Trixie shrieked and jumped backwards as the figure kicked her door open, just missing her shoulder. The intruder was taller than her, and bulky from muscle under a white hoody. A mass of dark hair stuck out around his pale, leathery face. He sneered down at her, knife in hand and raised to strike.

"Damn it, Jeff!" she panted, clutching her neck as her heart hammered against her ribs.

The killer lowered the knife to fold his arms smugly, "Cut the attitude, newbie, what do you expect when you fall for it every time?"

She looked at the ground rather than at him. She hated being alone with him, especially when he had that knife, which was always. It was a constant reminder not only of the time it had been used against her family but also the time he had threatened her with death should she touch it again. Not that she planned to, "I'm not falling for anything, you just barge in."

"Your point?"

She sighed, there was no point arguing with him. She was too tired for the threats, "Can I help you with anything? Slendy was looking for you earlier."

"He'll come get me if it's important." He shrugged, clearly irritated, "And I'm just passing on a message so don't get pissy with me."

"I'm not, I'm just- Never mind... What was the message?"

"Ben's on patrol with Toby tonight, and Alice still isn't back yet." He rolled his eyes at the mention of Alice, "So he's calling us out to track her down."

Trixie gave him a quizzical look, "Since when do you... Oh. We're not going for work, are we?"

"Fuck no." He scoffed, "But it's an excuse to get the hell out of here for the night and Slendy doesn't have to know."

A night out, without work involved. It sounded too good to be true. Lately the only time she was allowed outside was if she was signed onto patrol, which was rare since she wasn't an Active. And patrolling was never worth it. Slender had put it in place since the last time, for extra security to check for any unregistered Sickness activity. Two people every other night, just to be sure. Trixie wasn't sure if using that time for a secret night of freedom was wise, especially since things didn't go so well last time they all tried it. But still, the offer was very enticing. She wondered how Alice would feel getting used as a decoy for the others to have some freedom.

"Where are you going?"

"No idea, Ben had some club in mind that's holding an after party for some expo."

Expos and cons, Halloween, perfect excuses for some members of the group to walk around freely. She guessed they weren't interested in playing the sneaky card too hard tonight, "And... why are you inviting me?"

"I'm not." Jeff insisted, giving her a look, "I'm passing on a message from Ben remember. Look if you're tagging along then hurry up, fine, I really don't give a shit."

"Alright, I'm coming." She sighed, sending a mental apology to Slender, but a chance to get into some fresh air for a while was too welcoming, "Just give me a minute."

"Whatever."

* * *

Shad knocked on the door of Slender's office, waiting for permission to enter before doing so. He was nervous, which wasn't something he was used to feeling. That was an expression saved for this very conversation. And in a way that was both unfortunate and greatly appreciative. He wanted to visit someone. Plain and simple. Someone he already had permission to see, but there was always that risk that it may one day be denied.

There was one problem with the person he was visiting. And that was the fact that this person had no idea he existed. That wasn't a cliché high school style scenario, it was the truth. This person was human, and had nothing to do with the demon and proxy world at all. She wasn't even the sort to read the fake stories online. Ignorance was her bliss, and Shad intended to keep it that way. He cared too much for her to risk infecting her with the Sickness. For just to see him without special permission from Slender as well as the proper protective shield would infect her. And he couldn't bear to watch her chose between insanity and a life of confinement. He wasn't even going to waste time thinking about it.

"Sir? I've finished my jobs for the day and I was hoping I could- Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know you were had company."

Slender was standing, an air of foreboding about him but more for the situation rather than the intrusion. A woman stood before him, pale skinned and inhuman, lizard-like eyes. A ghost, Shad knew from her aura, and she was still in the clothes she died in. Something from the old South, a hat covering most of her head and a belt around her waist that contained an old fashioned pistol that looked well taken care of. Little discoloured speckles dotted the back of her hands, tinted with the poison that killed her and now resided under her skin. One touch from her lips would send a burn through the strongest of demon let alone an average victim.

She turned t face him, giving a familiar nod, voice hinted with a Southern twang, "Evenin' Shadowman."

"Hello, Kate." He nodded in return, "Have I interrupted something?"

"Don't go worryin' yourself none, just giving Slendy here a heads up on some findings and he's worryin' enough for all of y'all."

_I have good enough reason to worry, Kate, if what you said is true..._ Slender's voice stated in their heads, choosing to give a brief summary to Shad, _Kate has just informed me that she's had a sighing of Jack not far from here..._

"I said _might_ have seen, Slendy, don't get excited. It was some guy in a hood with his face covered up. Only thing that caught my attention was he smelt like proxy, damn it he got away before I could get closer."

Shad furrowed his brow, that could have been either Jack or Hoody, "Where was this?"

"Couple miles up north. Looks like he didn't wanna stick around for long. Knew I was following most likely."

_We must look into this... It could be nothing but I'd rather be safe than sorry at this point in time... Kate, would you-_

"Already planning on it." She tipped her hat and made a move to leave.

_Thank you... Please let me know as soon as you find something..._ His tone turned stern for a moment, _Do not go and do anything reckless without informing me first..._

She gave a knowing smile, "Now where's the fun in that?"

Slender sighed disapprovingly, _Sorry, Shad, you wanted to ask something...?_

"Oh, yes. I was just going to say that I've finished my duties for the day, and I was hoping that I would have your permission to..." He trailed off, the anxiety building again, more so when he noticed Kate was still listening, "I was hoping to go outside. For... my meeting."

Slender took a moment of silence before getting the message, _Yes of course, please be sure to report back before the night is out..._

"Yes Sir. I'll keep a look out for any activity in the process. Thank you."

He gave a respectful nod before joining Kate in leaving the room. He felt it rude to abandon her right away through the shadows and chose to walk with her first. A semi-demon he may be, but he believed in chivalry. Even when he knew Kate was perfectly capable of handling herself. To her credit, she waited until they were a few yards out of Slender's ear shot before arching an eyebrow.

"Meeting huh?"

"Somewhat." He thought it best to remain vague, changing the subject quickly, "Where do you plan on patrolling? Do you really think it was one of ours?"

"No other proxy smell like it. Was definitely one of us. Something bad thrown in the mix though, someone got the Sickness in there real bad."

"Could possibly be Jack... What is your take on the situation may I ask?"

"My take?" She gave him a look, not annoyed, just questioning his reasoning, "We have some demon playing around with the way people think and a young'un on the loose who would give Jeff a run for his money and you want to know my take?"

"Forgive me if I'm out of line but I would have thought you'd be the first to turn away from someone who gave up their name to someone like Zalgo. A snake in the grass for lack of better term. Yet you are helping to return the lost to us."

She stopped and faced him directly, eyes hard, "That little'un didn't know what he was getting himself into from the start, it ain't right people around here are using him as a scapegoat for their own fears. Frankly I'd like to see then go through the same thing and keep their mouths shut."

He blinked, it wasn't often she snapped like that, "You know I do not blame anyone but Zalgo for what happened. I did not mean to cause any offence."

"Yeah well..." she shrugged, adjusting her belt and continuing on your way, "I'll be heading back to business. And you run along and check up on your lady friend."

For the second time in under a minute he was stunned still, "H-How did you... She's not my... I simply make a stop there on my patrols, since there was Zalgo activity not long ago... I don't even-"

"Hold your horses," Kate snickered good naturedly, "I don't do secrets, Shadowman, so I make sure none get hidden from me. So she gotta name or what?"

His voice was a mutter, not making eye contact, "Emily..."

She nodded, almost in approval, "Good name. Not go on, off with ya."

He sighed, frustrated with himself for letting himself be so readable. But deep down he knew that she was simply joking with him. But this was a sensitive subject for him and understood that it could be misunderstood. But nevertheless, he was silently grateful for the excuse to make a hasty exit. He did so, letting the shadows consume him, not stopping until he felt the chilled night air acting as his guide.

* * *

The air was hot and thick with the smell of alcohol and sweat. Crowds of people were crammed into the small underground club that held a simple bar on one side, a stage on the other for the live band blaring their music, and a space in the middle for dancing. Low budget and rickety. That's the best way it could be described. But it was filled with atmosphere, pushing them along.

"So, what do you think?" Ben asked, looping an arm around Jeff and Toby's shoulders as if presenting the place as his own.

"Fuck, man, this is great!" Jeff announced, shrugging himself away and swiping a plastic cup over half full of drink from a table where it had just been put down, taking a gulp and claiming it as his own, "It's about time we got a place like this."

"The music's so loud!" Toby grinned, breaking away to lean against one of the speakers built into the wall, having it pulsate through his body, "Let's get one of these!"

"Sure if you pay for it." The ghost replied, rolling his eyes and giving Trixie a nudge, "Up for a dance, Trix?"

She shook her head with a half smile as the heavy electric guitars sliced the air, "Can you even dance to this music?"

"So if it was different music, you would?"

She scowled, "I didn't say that."

"Hey guys look, the new band's going up!" Toby pointed at the stage, grabbing Trixie by the arm and yanking her forward, "Come on lets go look!"

"Let me finish my damn drink!" Jeff snapped, nearly spilling it on himself when Toby darted past, "God damn it..."

They followed, ducking and weaving through the bustling people until they found themselves pressed right at the side of the stage, almost tripping behind the barrier that led back stage. Trixie had to admit, she was excited. There were few opportunities for nights like this. And god knows it had been a long time since live music had been an option.

"I think Jeffy-boy will like this one..." Ben grinned wryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the killer demanded, suspicious as always. And rightly so around Ben.

"Just enjoy the show."

"It's starting!" Toby exclaimed, already moving with the crowd as the beat picked up.

Heavy beats designed to make you grit your teeth and let loose pounded from electric guitars and drums. On stage, the band hunched from effort to force out the music. Lights flashed around the club, but avoided the front centre of the stage. The silhouette of a woman was highlighted. Her voice, strong and well suited for the theme, echoed around as she sang, but not once did she leave the shadows.

"_I'm on the train that's pilling the sick and twisted, making the most of the ride before we get arrested! We're all wasted, and we're not going home tonight!"_ The figure moved her arms upwards in a sultry fashion, showing off the outline of her figure, "_Covered in black we lack the social graces, just like an animal we crawl out of our cages! They can't tame us, so if you're one of us get on the bus!"_

The lights suddenly combusted outwards and flooded the stage in yellow and white. The singer was fully reviled, her icy-blue eyes were alight with mischief, dark copper hair hanging in waves down her back. A strapless and low cut, scarlet dress hugged her body tightly, flatteringly. The skirt puffed outwards slightly at her wait, ruffled underneath with black netting which stopped just above her knees. Her slender legs were emphasised by the short skirt and black heels. And finally, a fitted black leather jacket covered her arms and shoulders. Her voice belted out strong notes that she seemed to take enjoyment in producing them, the crowd going crazy before her.

"_If you're a freak like me! Wave your flag! If you're a freak like me, get off your ass! It's our time now! To let it all hang out!"_

"Hey guys!" Toby announced, tugging Trixie's arm and pointing at the singer, "I found Alice!"

"Holy shit!" Ben scoffed, looking up at the stage as if about to crack into laugher.

"Fuck..." Jeff slumped his shoulders, "Good night ruined..."

Alice hadn't noticed them yet, having too much fun as she flipped her hair back, "_So shout if you're a freak like me! You were born to burn, this is no disease! You don't need a cure it's our time now, to come out! If you're a freak like me! If you're a freak like me!"_

Jeff glared at Ben, "Did you know she was going to be here?"

The ghost shrugged, "Pure coincidence, bud. But a worthwhile one."

Trixie found herself bobbing with the music, following Alice's rhythm. Honestly, she was taken back, who knew Alice was such a performer considering she was such so sarcastic and mostly kept to herself at home. Looking back, that could be exchanged for secretive. What else was she hiding? Trixie had to laugh when Toby started waving and calling over to Alice, trying to get her attention. Unfortunately for Jeff who was about to punch him, it worked.

Alice glanced up from her adoring public and scanned the sides of the crowd, eyes hardening coldly when she saw them. It was clear that she didn't want them there. This was her private place damn it! She opened her mouth as if to tell them to get lost, but then remembered that she was still on show. She tried to reclaim her posture, grabbing the microphone from the stand and walking to the other side of the stage to start singing again, "_We're underground but we will not surrender. We're gonna give them something to remember, yeah!_" She glanced over at Jeff for the next line, a smirk in place as if mocking him personally, "_So write you name in gasoline... And set that shit on fire!_"

"Fuck you, bitch!"

She laughed, figuring she may as well taunt them while there's nothing they can do to stop her without causing a scene, "_If you're a freak like me! Wave your flag, if you're a freak like me get off your ass! It's our time now, to let it all hang out!_" She jumped on the spot, making Trixie flinch at the idea of doing that in heels that big. Alice marched across the stage towards them hand low to catch claps from the crowd, "_So shout if you're a freak like me! Don't apologise! They can't hold you down, you were born to rise! It's our time now! To come out!"_

Trixie lent back a little as Alice's expression turned cold and challenging as she advanced on them. Ben on the other hand rested an elbow on the stage, smirking as if wanting to know what's going to happen next. Or to look up her skirt when she got closer, it was hard to tell. Jeff on the other hand glared at her, keeping eye contact and trying to intimidate her.

"_If you're a freak like me?_" She tilted her head, voice less of a singing fashion and more of a threat ad getting louder each time, "_If you're a freak like me? Are you a freak like me? Are you a freak... Like..." _She suddenly threw herself back so she was leaning backwards as she forced out the last word, sweat beading on her forehead from the effort as the music convulsed around her, "_ME...!"_

"Christ! Go Alice!" Toby yelled, jumping along with the crowd as she sang.

"Get back here, dumb ass." Jeff snapped, yanking him by the hood away from people, "She's an attention whore and she doesn't need you cheering her on."

Ben shrugged, "I'm sure he's just paying tribute to the song choice. After all it was only ten minutes ago you called him a freak."

"Yeah!" Toby nodded, then did a double take, "Hey when did you call me that?"

They were interrupted by the next verse, Alice having recovered from the powerful notes and taking over from the guitar solo, facing the crowd again, "_If you're a freak like me! Wave your flag! If you're a freak like me get off your ass! It's our time now...So shout if you're a freak like me! Don't apologise! They can't hold you down, you were born to rise! It's our time now! To come out! If you're a freak like me! If you're a freak like me!_ She returned to the mic-stand and fixed her microphone there, throwing both of her hands up in a finishing pose, "_If you're a freak like me!"_

Alice didn't even wait to take full advantage of her fifteen minutes of fame before vanishing backstage. Trixie covered her ears from the roar of cheering and noise coming from the club. She found herself grinning from the pure adrenaline of the atmosphere. It had been way too long since she'd been to a place like this. The shear energy was enough to make her want to jump right into the dance floor. Which surprised her since this had never really been her scene back in her old life. Maybe it was the isolation from the public for so long.

"Enjoying yourself, Trix?" asked Ben, elbowing her.

She flushed, looking down, "I am. Did you know she could sing like that?"

"Might have. I also might have known she was going to be here on our little night out too."

"Then... why tell Jeff you didn't?"

He indicated over to the way Jeff seemed to be frozen in a state of pure rage at having nice night 'ruined, "Because who could turn down a face like that?"

She covered her mouth to hide a snort of laughter, "That's cruel."

"That's entertainment."

"You're so dead." Jeff snapped.

"Well obviously..."

"You all will be when I'm done with you." A new voice stated, female and a little tired. Alice stood at the backstage entrance, glaring at them coldly as if promising hell to pay for them following her, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?"

**A/N:**

**Alice is not happy... Whoops. For the record that song was 'Freak Like Me' by Halestorm. An awesome band my I add. I dunno, just made sense to me that Alice is a performer deep down, and everyone needs a hobby besides killing am I right? XD Anyway, more on the way! Can't wait to hear from you! XD**


	3. Passing Messages

**A/N:**

**Hello again readers! Loving the support and comments so far, thank you all so much, you have no idea how much you mean to me XD Thank you! Anywho, without further ado, here is chapter 3, and some plot finally kicks in! Whoo!**

"Daddy?"

The demon ignored her, Sickness feeding through the molten veins under his skin as he feasted on another wretched soul from the outside world. It tasted of sin and pollution and blood, a delicate mix that was euphoric in its way. It absorbed into him, his mouth watering with black ooze.

"Father!"

"What is it, child?" Zalgo snapped, teeth bared down at the young woman.

She flinched back, "I'm sorry, Daddy, but... I want to feed too."

"Patience, my dear. You can feast as soon as you are ready for the outside."

"But you let them eat, even if it's just one soul." She pointed a pale finger at the two figures, one with his face hidden by a mask, the other by a hood. They lay motionless in the mist, black trickling down their chins, "I am ready. And so hungry."

"And in time you'll get the chance to prove yourself, child. I want you starving by the time you get to meet-"

"Meet your friends, I know. Let me prove it, Daddy. Let me meet just one of them. I promise I'll kill them slowly! I already am starving and I want to feed n-"

His claw lashed out to lock around her throat, ignoring the snarl escaping from it, "You dare to defy me? You _dare_?" He didn't let her speak, she could only twitch. Zalgo actually considered pressing harder, letting his ebony talons pierce her skin; and in truth it wouldn't make much difference to him should she expire in his grasp. However, he bared his teeth a little more in a grotesque smile, "You did dare... Perhaps, you are ready..."

Despite being unable to breathe, her onyx eyes glistened in glee, too innocent for her appearance or intent, "Yes, D-Daddy..."

A cruel laugh emitted from deep within Zalgo, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt for you to prove it... Is there anyone in particular you want to devour first? One of no real use to my dear Slender, we don't want him getting distressed just yet."

He let her slump to the ground. She recovered in a crouch, looking up at Zalgo with a hungry, eager grin, "Pick for me? You know them better than me, but they all sound so delicious..."

Zalgo had taught her well. He pressed his hands together as he contemplated what to do. And then it hit him. Why not let the old fool chose one of his own labs for the slaughter? Poor, Slender, he almost pitied him if it weren't all so laughable. Zalgo stuck out a hand, letting the misted Sickness in the air weave through his fingers. There were a few little lambs he could take advantage of, but which to choose? Who would Slender get a better picture from? Wait... Picture. Or a drawing... Perfect.

"Wait just a day or two more, my child, you'll be getting a new playmate very soon. I just need to give a lost soul a crystal clear image to pass onto my dear friend, Slender first."

* * *

Alice stood with her hands on her hips, an eyebrow arched over cold blue eyes. Long story short, she did not look impressed. She was waiting for an answer to her question. Just what the hell were they doing here? Watching her on stage. Sure, this wasn't her usual haunt when she was out and about, but this was her private thing. They had no right to trespass like this. On the other hand, the others were reacting somewhat differently. Ben wryly hanging behind to enjoy the outplay, Toby still lost somewhere in the atmosphere of the crowd, Trixie trying to keep out of the way and Jeff simply matching Alice's scowl. In his opinion having bumped into her was his night ruined after all.

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here?" Toby asked, "You sing?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I sometimes come to places like this after a job to earn some cash from tips. Turns out my job was actually backstage here so it worked out quite well."

"Now the extra shopping bags in the trash make sense..." Ben muttered.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Where did you think I was getting my money from?"

"Hooker." Jeff answered instantly.

"Drugs." Ben offered. Toby raised a finger to give a suggestion, but then nodded in agreement to seemingly no one in particular.

"Theft..." Trixie mumbled to herself, unheard over the speakers.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Give me some credit at least. Now for god's sake get back here. And pick your jaw off the floor, Jeff, it's a dress not a birthday suit."

Jeff snapped his eyes back up to hers, raising his middle finger and opening his mouth to most likely give a curse. Although this time she didn't wait for an answer, turning on her pointed heels and vanishing behind the black curtain that led to a heavy backstage door. Trixie exchanged a look with Toby who gave a passive shrug and made the first step to follow. Part of her was kind of excited, she'd never been backstage at a club before. Although in an ideal world she wouldn't be going with three killers and a ghost... But still, beggars can't be choosers.

She followed along behind the others through the door, the security guard seemingly okay with them being there since they were with a performer. It wasn't as glamorous as she thought, in fact it was pretty damp and chilly with stone walls and stacks of supply boxes stacked in the corridor. Alice led them to a brittle looking door on the left hand side, opening it and sauntering in like she owned the place. It was likely that she did, since it was a dressing room with some of her items on the table. That was literally the only item in that room, along with a closet door on the other side. That was it.

"Wow, you hit the big leagues here." Ben said sarcastically.

"I'm here for the one song, I didn't get more than I'd need." Alice returned sourly, pushing her hair from her face and looking in the mirror, "And I had another job to do if you remember."

"Could have at least done that first." Jeff snapped, "Don't want Slendy hearing you're spreading Sickness because you wanted to play pop star before murderer."

"You know me better than that by now, Jeffy-boy," She smirked, slipping off her jacket to reveal her bare arms and shoulders. Only, the usual clear complexion was stained with dried, crusted red patches. Blood. And by the lack of wounds, it wasn't hers. She took enjoyment in their surprised faces, opening the closet to hang up her jacket and having to step over a large, bloody pulp of a human shape while doing so, "Business before pleasure."

Trixie wretched at the horrific metallic smell coming from the body, hunched and twisted unnaturally where it had been shoved into the closet. She guessed that it had once been a man in his forties, but she didn't remember drawing him, so it must have been someone else's find. She couldn't help but wonder what his crime was to deserve this punishment. To be brutally murdered in the back of a rundown night club.. But she tried to push it away, it was sometimes best not to know. If she looked closer, Trixie could see faint mismatched patches on Alice's red dress. More blood. Great...

Alice finished hanging up the jacket and dropped a playing card onto the body, a signature of hers. She took the rest of the deck, all embroidered with different colours per symbol and her name expertly printed on the back, and quickly shuffled them before putting them on the dressing table where a change of clothes were waiting for her. She picked pulled out a damp towel and started rubbing her arms, "I hate it when they get grabby. I liked this dress..."

"Just buy another one with your hard earned cash." Jeff said bitterly.

"Jealous, Jeffy-boy?"

"Piss off."

Toby closed the closet door to once again hide the body, "You alright, Trix? You look all pre-throw up-ish."

She took a moment to take a breath, "I'm fine. Just not used to being around... that."

"Yeah it's such a burden being around dead people." Ben quipped, giving her a look.

"Being around blood, then, if you're getting technical..."

He winked, rubbing his finger and thumb together so sparks crackled from the friction, "I'm nothing but technical."

She looked away, choosing to admire the few clean spots in the carpet and pretend she hadn't heard the slightly perverse tone. Alice turned her back and vanished behind an old fashioned changing wall, stripping out of her dress and heels out of sight, changing into a long sleeve shirt and skinny jeans. Toby tilted his head in thought, pushing his goggles up onto his forehead.

"So... Can we go back to the dance floor yet?" he grinned.

Jeff gave him a look, "Yeah, because staying around where there's a freaking body is a great idea."

"It's not like we killed him." Toby offered, then after a moment he seemed to hit a realisation, "Oh right..."

Alice exchanged a look with Ben, muttering, "Genius..."

"Well that's just great." Jeff snapped harshly at Ben, "Good night fucked up just because you wanted a cheap laugh."

"And a show, don't forget the show." The ghost replied smugly, "And besides, night's still young."

"We're going somewhere else?" Trixie asked somewhat reluctantly. Great, first it was two killers who put up with each other and a ghost, now it was a ghost and three killers two of which hated each other. Wait, was it reluctance? Something didn't feel right, like a cold chill in the pit of her stomach. Her head pounded harshly, eyes getting heavy, "I think... Well maybe we should-"

"Spit it out newbie." Alice scolded.

She shivered, fingers twitching. This was bad. She hadn't felt like this since she was forced to... No it couldn't be! Not again! Please! Toby poked her shoulder, "What's up, Trix?"

Ben arched an eyebrow, "Another job on offer?"

She felt like she was going to throw up, her fists clenched. She was scared. She didn't want to draw. This wasn't like how it normally felt. This was wrong. She shook her head. _Please not him again! Get out of my head!_

He exchanged a look with the others, they didn't look comfortable either, "You're not controlling this one, are you?"

Again, she shook her head. Jeff pushed his hair out of his eyes, looking ready to stab someone in irritation, "For fucks sake..."

* * *

The clear night time darkness had leaked its way into the semi-spacious bedroom. Only a small corner of it illuminated by a lamp at a young lady's bedside table. She sat against her pillows, dark brunette hair tied up into a high-ponytail which made her blue eyes seem a little bigger. She smiled absentmindedly as she wrote in her diary. Some may say she was too old for a diary, but she didn't really care. She thought she was perfectly entitled to document her opinions and thoughts if she wished. What she didn't realize was that she was being observed.

Shad stayed to the shadows, choosing to respect her privacy and not read over her shoulder despite wanting to know what was going through her head. In truth, he felt awful having to pry like this. It was unjustified and it was an abuse on her privacy as well as his powers. But he had to make sure she was alright. That night when he had seen the Sickness in her eyes, threatening to take her away, it had stuck with him. He needed to protect her. His Emily.

Emily stopped and turned around suddenly, eyes curious. Shad only remained perfectly still in his hiding place, and her eyes travelled right past him. She was forbidden to see him. If he was on a job, then he was carrying excess Sickness, and he couldn't risk letting her see him and infecting her. Although he knew that if she was infected, then perhaps he could speak to her, let her get to know him and even apologize for these well intended security checks. But he just couldn't do that to her. He couldn't drag her into this dangerous and isolated world just because he wanted her to know who he was. This was her world, this is where she belonged.

Finally, she gave up her search and turned back to her diary with a tired sigh. Leaving open the page and leaving her pen in place as if pointing to a certain section. Of course she didn't know just what she could feel watching her, or what its intentions were. But, something in the back of her mind told her not to be afraid. It was strange, and she often wondered if she was just going insane or had red too many supernatural novels. But she often liked to pretend she was part of a story book. Why not indulge her own fantasy when she knew that it was all in her head. There was nothing really watching her. It was just a fatigue induced daydream. She turned off her lamp, and slipped into bed, closing her eyes and steadily allowing herself to sleep.

Shad watched, content that once again, she was free from risk and outside danger. And he was about to leave, not wanting to keep watch for longer than necessary. Watching her sleep was a little too much, he thought. Although... the way she so blatantly left her diary open, she had never done that before. No, she couldn't have known he was there, it wasn't as if he had given himself away. Yes, occasionally he would write her a letter, a small story or a poem or something along those lines, sometimes a drawing, a gift to her. In fact, he had one on him now that he was already slipping into her college bag. There was no sense in leaving it on her desk or else she'd know someone was there and he wouldn't want her fearing him. It was best to leave it in her bag, so that she would suspect someone from her everyday life. And that was for the best. It hurt him, but she belonged in her world, not the shadows like him.

He did end up wondering silently to her diary though, only focussing the section that had been pointed out to him. It read: _I feel like I'm being watched again. It's not a bad thing, not that many would agree but there we go. Just me maybe, I don't know, it feels real. Kinda feels like when you're out with a friend in a dangerous area, that they've got your back. I like it. My Watcher does a pretty good job. Christ, I sound crazy. Maybe I am. Hell, you know what, if being crazy means I feel safe, then I'll be happy being crazy! My Watcher could at least let me thank them in person, or just say Hi, I'm not picky. I doubt a figment of my imagination keeps leaving me those letters though. I hope it's not that creep, Jones, I swear he sweats more than a pig in summer. _

The rest quickly followed into a tangent stream of consciousness that led into personal information about her classes, so he stopped reading out of politeness. He couldn't help but give a rare, small smile. My Watcher, she called him... He shouldn't feel happy about this. It was a bad thing that she was becoming aware of him. It was too risky. But... she felt safe, which is what she wanted. What he wanted too! It was all so confusing. And confusion was not something he was used to dealing with.

So why was he moving back to her bag to collect his letter to her? Why was he writing on the outside? A side note. He was acting on impulse and that was not like him! This was going against everything that he had been taught and what he stood by. But, he couldn't help it. He only wrote one sentence: _Sometimes the most observant of eyes cannot be gazed upon, and I apologize._ And then, it was replaced in her bag. He knew he was most likely fuelling the fire to her curiosity, but at least it provided a minor explanation. He owed her that much.

**A/N:**

**Aww Shad, the tragic romance where he cannot be with his dearest because it'll hurt her, meanwhile she had no real idea of who or what he is. Sigh... Anyway, who is this 'daughter' of Zalgo? Who is Trixie going to be forced to draw on behalf of Zalgo? How is Slendy going to take it? Answers will be given soon! XD**


	4. Fear and Arrogance

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the wait guys, and sorry this is such a short chapter! I've had to sort out housing arrangements and my 21****st**** birthday and all that jazz, but I'm back baby! XD When we left off, Zalgo had taken over Trixie's mind for a moment put a forced image on ehr head to draw. Not a nice thing when someone elses Sickness takes over you... Not that I'd know or anything! Uh heh heh... XD Read on!**

_How are you feeling now, Beatrix...?_

Trixie drank the cool water gratefully and starting to get her breathing under control. The two things that remained to act as a reminder for what had happened, was the ache on her left shoulder along her proxy brand, and the horrifically detailed drawing in front of her that she had no control in creating. As soon as the feeling had taken over her back at the club, the others had spared no time in getting her back to the hideout. Originally, Jeff had made the suggestion to just leave her, since it 'wasn't his problem'. But Alice argued that if Slender didn't hear about this now then it would only mean hell for all of them later. That and she threatened to blackmail him with telling Slender he snuck out without permission if he didn't help.

So by some luck or other, Trixie was now sitting in Slender's office, breathing deeply and trying to collect herself. Her proxy mark looked sore, lined with red welts and left an uncomfortable sting. But it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. She'd stopped scratching it at least. Her hands had been too busy in the last fifteen minutes hastily scribbling images that were being painfully forced into her cranium. It had been just like before, when she had been forced into drawing the corpses of her fellow proxies. When Zalgo was trying to scare them... She looked down, terrified at the idea of him being behind this again.

Slender put a hand on her shoulder, _Beatrix...?_

"O-Oh... Um, better thanks Slender, S-Sir." She felt embarrassed at her stutter, still felt unsure what to call her mentor, this demon. She respected him enough to continue with formalities, much like the way he used her real first name, but she also felt comfortable enough to use his better known name. Maybe sticking to using both was best, play it safe or something like that, "I'm sorry... I just, I don't know what happened. Was it because I was out without permission or-"

_No, Beatrix, why don't you explain from the start... The others weren't the most descriptive..._

She shifted awkwardly, "I really don't know. I felt fine when we went out and then it just felt like... like I wasn't in control. Like someone else was putting the images in my head, and..." She shivered, her tone struggling to stay steady, "It felt like I was back in the hospital. A-And if I didn't start drawing then I'd-"

_Calm yourself, Beatrix..._

"I'm sorry." Trixie took a breath, wrapping her arms around herself tightly, "I-I'm scared, Sir. The last time this happened, it was Zalgo. Putting the images in my head I mean. A-And I can't go through it again, I can't! I-It hurts and it was like..." She struggled to say it, the fear of it making it all the worse, "It felt like the Sickness is getting to me again."

Stabs of ice manoeuvred up her spine. Memories returning from when Slender had gone missing, and when the Sickness started to spread, her mind had practically burned in agony, her hands moving on their own to draw scenes of what would, or should have been, the deaths of those around her. How they had managed to avoid that one she had no idea. But she was grateful for it. The idea of going through it again , it terrified her. Having no control like that, having some evil _thing_ force those images on her... She didn't want to ever be forced to do that again. The drawing that lay before her on the desk was a horrible reminder that she had no choice in the matter. She pushed it away.

"I'm sorry, Slender, Sir." She muttered, looking down, ashamed at her own panic even if it was justified, "But after last time, it makes me wonder if he's going to come back sooner than we thought. And... I'm scared."

_Do not apologize for a perfectly justifiable fear, Beatrix... Fear is what Zalgo is thriving on... Storing it away will only make it stronger, registering it and overcoming it will make _you_ stronger..._

Trixie stayed silent. What was there to say? She felt weak. Obviously it was understandable why she was scared, but that didn't stop her feeling pathetic for being so. And it seemed like it was just her who felt this way, the others looked like they were ready for a fight rather than running. But they didn't know what it was like, to have their mind invaded like that. Sure, they'd all been through the Sickness at some point or other, but not without some warning or means of fighting back. She was alone in this.

Finally, she managed to mutter something of a reply, "So, it was Zalgo who did this again? You're sure?"

_He is the only demon I am aware of that has that power to control the input of another demons proxy...And he is the only one with something against us..._

"But why now? He's got Jack, he thinks he's got an advantage over you, he's got no reason for it."

_He's getting reckless... He thinks that by giving us a message as obvious as this then we will venture out to investigate, most likely falling into a snare of his..._

She nodded in understanding, "He's using Passive proxies to pass on messages to you so you'll send Actives out. So, he wants to collect us all? What for?"

_Control... And to prove a point that he is more powerful... He was always so childish..._

A small laugh escaped her, something she didn't expect to happen. She cleared her throat, "So we ignore it? Honestly I'm not sure I can manage if it happens again..."

_And you won't have to... He has passed on his message, he won't make another move until we do..._

"You're sure? Not that I'm doubting you or anything!" she added hurriedly, "It's just, whenever a drawing comes up the others think it's a job for them. Same with Ben when he gets a notice from one of his games."

Slender sighed, _Yes I see your point... I will explain the situation to them, from this point on any premomitive drawing you make that doesn't feel right comes right to me and does not get passed on..._

That made Trixie feel a little better, especially when he picked up the hexed drawing and moved it to another desk to analyse later. Out of sight, out of mind. Of course she knew it was easier said than done. But the fact that she had someone on her side made her feel a little better. It would be a lot easier to do if she started drawing the victims she saw while she was alone. That way she'd be able to keep the ones that were out of her control a secret. Even if it meant going through it alone... But it was better than risking sending the others out to get killed.

"Slender, Sir? C-Can I ask you something?"

_Of course..._

She shrugged awkwardly, eyes down, "Is... Is there a way to stop it? I mean, I know it's part of the demon influence to so I know the images I see and draw won't stop. But... Zalgo's. Is there a way to stop him specifically from putting them in my head and making me feel so Sick?"

Slender didn't answer for a while, the atmosphere getting heavy and uncomfortable. And from that alone, Trixie didn't need him to. The silence was answer enough.

"Okay..." She sighed, standing up to leave and wanting to cry but keeping contained. She had to, "Thanks anyway."

It was heartbreaking to know that even her own protector, the one that was meant to be looking after all of them, couldn't help her. Slender's brand on her shoulder allowed her to document those who deserved some form of punishment, it filtered the good from the bad. But Zalgo, he cared nothing for that. He could make her see the sufferings of the most innocent. And what scared her the most, was that in time she might not be able to tell the difference.

And as this little exchange was taking place, they both forgot one thing. Sometimes, the walls have ears, and most commonly, so do computer screens. And rarely, the computer screens can sprout an arm and collect a certain item from the desk before vanishing without a trace...

* * *

"Alright, lady and gents, let's start the bidding!"

Ben held his signature smirk along with the drawing that Trixie had been so terrified of just minutes ago. He waved it tauntingly as he hovered cross legged near the ceiling. It didn't take much energy to lurk within the computer system and eavesdrop on what was going on. And in all honesty, he wasn't happy about what was happening to Trixie, mainly because it meant trouble was brewing for all of them. A little selfish but as was his nature. And also, he didn't understand why Slender was being so paranoid. Sure Zalgo was pulling a few jump scares, but in his opinion that's all it was. Plain and simple. No need to go hiding jobs from them when they could just as easily go out to complete them and have done with it. No sense in getting too suspicious or else nothing would ever get done.

Jeff jumped, trying to swipe the sketch from the ghosts hand, "Knock it off, Casper, hand it over!"

"Don't look at me," Alice shook her head, playing a game of solitaire to the side of the common room, "I fancy keeping as far away from any Zalgo shit as possible."

"Paranoid too, Alice?" Ben sniggered.

"Cautious." She corrected, "Aren't you?"

"I'm dead, what do I have to lose?"

"Your neck attached to your body if you don't give me that!" Jeff snapped, attempting to jump again, "If I don't get a kill soon I'm going to go stir-crazy in here!"

Toby looked up from his comic book and tilted his head, a series of cracks following the movement but they went ignored, "We were only outside a couple of hours ago."

"Are you sure you don't have a killing problem, Jeffy-boy?" Alice asked wryly.

"I don't have a 'problem' with killing," he replied, using his fingers for air quotes, "I enjoy it."

"Thank you for proving my point."

"Whatever, bitch, there's a job up for grabs and I'm taking it. Got it?"

Alice just shrugged casually and went back to her game. Toby pulled a face behind his mask and looked back down at his comic, "It didn't come from Slendy..."

"Fucking wimps the lot of you." Jeff scoffed, reaching up to try and grab the paper again, "Now hand it over."

Ben sighed, letting him have it. It was no fun unless there was a scrabble for it, "Your funeral. When are you heading out?"

"Uh..." he shrugged, taking a look at the paper as if memorizing the details of the future victim, then folded it and put it in his hoody pocket, "Tomorrow night. Knowing Slendy he's going to go all anal on lock down tonight."

"And here I thought you were going to make some dramatic great escape." Alice pouted, trying to wind him up all the more.

He just stuck his middle finger up at her and moved on, "Anyway, I'm heading to bed." He paused a moment to look smug in Alice's direction, "_I've_ got a job tomorrow night."

They watched as he left the room, his arrogance shining through as always. In truth, they all knew that it was a stupid idea to go taking a job when it didn't come handed to you by your mentor. It just wasn't right. But Jeff, he thought he was invincible. He was one of the most famous killers of the time, who would dare try and mess with him? Or rather who on the outside would dare mess with him. Because lets face it, reputation didn't really count for much in where they were right now. In fact as soon as he left, Toby couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"Is Jeff gonna get killed?"

"Most likely." Ben nodded.

Alice sighed, "One step closer to peace."

**A/N:**

**Damn it Jeff, leave the cursed demon induced premonition paper alone! So this won't go well, if Jeff goes out on this job, Zalgo is getting what he wants. But if he stays, then he's not going to be a happy chap. Next chapter coming up soon! XD**


	5. Killer meets Killer

**A/N:**

**Finally it's here! Sorry again for the wait! Next chapter will not take as long I promise. But het at elast this is a nice long one for you XD So last we left off Jeff had snuck out anyway even though it's dangerous. An identity will also be revealed! Just who is calling Zalgo 'Daddy'? Read on to find out, lovely people! XD**

As it turned out, Jeff had been completely right about security increasing that night. Slender had called on the semi-demons who required less sleep to patrol not only the corridors but also the perimeter of the outside. That included Smile, Shad and Widemouth. Not that anyone particularly wanted Widemouth sneaking around since he did that enough without permission anyway, but it was unavoidable. Of course Ben had also been an option since he didn't need sleep, but since he had so recently disobeyed Slender, he was left out.

By logic of who didn't need sleep, Trixie could have qualified. She wondered into the kitchen the next afternoon with dark shadows under her eyes, feeling heavy and slow. She had deliberately avoided breakfast, choosing to spend her time either attempting to catch up on lost sleep or taking a relaxing bath to avoid the paper and pencils calling to her on her desk. Every time her eyes closed, the acidic burn of Sickness tried to force another image into her head. But she wasn't sure if it was as normal or if it was a Zalgo influence. After the previous night and discovering that neither could be stopped, she feared both.

She walked into the kitchen and hadn't even thought about what she was going to eat before she found herself sighing at the feeling of being watched, "I haven't drawn anything, you'll have to get your jobs from someone else."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." Alice commented, stirring a cup of tea and arching an eyebrow.

Toby peered a little closer, curious rather than mocking, "Doesn't look like she woke up on any side of the bed. Trouble sleeping, Trix?"

Trixie shook her head, "It's nothing. Just... thinking about last night."

"Yeah," Alice sighed, not hiding the traces of patronization along with it, "A rogue demon invading your head will do that to you."

"You wouldn't know." She muttered.

"Wanna bet?"

Trixie looked up at her quizzically. What was that supposed to mean? She wanted to ask, but the perfect poker face that Alice was pulling indicated that she should just stay quiet. And so she did. In honesty she had enough to think about at the moment. Although that didn't stop her being any less curious. Another time maybe. For now she returned to making a poor excuse for a meal in a bowl of soup warmed up by the microwave. She sat down and started dipping a slice of bread into it, already feeling her appetite slipping away.

"Can we just leave it alone now, please?" She sighed, trying to ignore the headache forming in her temple.

"Leave what alone?"

She, along with the others, turned her head towards the kitchen doorway. Ben leant lazily against the wall, eyebrow arched in a way that suggested that as usual he was hiding something. Trixie looked back down, not in the mood for any jokes he was more than likely to make. Toby however seemed more than willing to answer the ghosts question.

"Leave alone the fact that she drew a picture of a dead guy that could be used for a job but ended up being a Zalgo trick and that it's been given to Slendy." He nodded matter of factly, pausing to take a breath, "Yeah she doesn't want to talk about it anymore."

"Oh she doesn't, does she?" Ben asked slyly.

"Thanks, Toby..." Trixie sighed.

"No worries! Oh... Sorry, Trix."

Ben rolled his eyes, not taking the amused look off his face as he started to hover in the air, drifting forward to get a better look at her face, "Nothing to be ashamed of, Trix. It's not the first time we've seen something like this happen."

Trixie hesitated, a growing feeling of dread growing and just simply knowing that she shouldn't ask. But curiosity gave her a cruel nudge. She looked up, hazel eyes quivering, "What d'you mean?"

"Well think about it. Jack wasn't exactly the most stable when it came to dealing with the stuff that popped into his head. And look what happened to him..."

She flinched, "Don't say stuff like that. I'm not going to be controlled like he was. And Jack is just a kid so you can't-"

"You can't use age as an excuse." Alice shook her head, "Hoody and Masky were a couple of years older than me and who knows where they are."

"What?" Trixie asked, tilting her head.

"I said-"

"N-No, I heard you but I just... I don't really know who Hoody and Masky are. All you've told me is that they were Slender's to-go guys apart from Shad and they've been on a job for the past few years."

Ben shrugged, "Well yeah that's the official story. But lately who knows. It's not like Slendy is keeping us in the loop. You don't just ignore a Zalgo sign like this. Something's up if you ask me."

Toby shook his head, a muscle in his neck twitching, "He'd tell us if it were important, right?"

Alice shrugged, "Doubt it. Personally it feels like old Slender is keeping us in the dark again, just like last time. And frankly I'm not happy about it. We agreed to stay, so the least he could do is show a little respect for it."

"I didn't know you cared so much, Alice." Ben sniggered.

"I don't. But I don't like being denied a simple explanation. Speaking of which, to go back to what you were asking, newbie, we were told that Hoody and Masky were away for a long job. And now all of a sudden Jack was tricked into joining Zalgo. You can't blame us for thinking that maybe this has happened before. And might happen again."

Trixie felt sick. She pushed her bowl of barely touched soup away from her and stared hard at the floor. Her previous conversation with Slender echoed in her head, how there was no way to stop Zalgo infiltrating her mind, "Y-You think that I'm next... That Zalgo will try to take me."

"We didn't say that!" Toby insisted.

"May have been thinking it." Ben muttered, not quietly enough.

"Don't flatter yourself, newbie," Alice scoffed when she saw Trixie started to grow pale, "Zalgo's after Active proxies, you're just the pawn to send a few scares."

That didn't exactly make her feel any better. It was a horrifying position to be in. Not knowing if she was fated to be taken over completely by a demon hell bent on petty revenge, or to be constantly used by said demon until all of those around here are taken away to slavery and more likely than not, death. And the fact that most of those around here were taking enjoyment in waiting to see which one it was, it hurt. It hurt to think that she was alone in this. Again.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone nudge her. And again when she noticed the black and red eyes of Ben looking down at her, "Relax, Trix. We're just messing with you."

"You can't tell me to relax after telling me that there's a chance other proxies have been taken and that I'm going to be next!"

"Don't worry so much, Trix, if anyone is going to be next it's going to be Jeff since he took Zalgo's bait anyways." Toby snickered, and then noticed that the room had gone silent and all eyes were on him, "Eh heh... what?"

There were three different reactions to that. Ben facepalmed. Alice sighed. And Trixie seemed to freeze in position. Her voice cracked, "He went out there! But it's a trap! H-He'll get killed or Zalgo w-will-"

"I think I broke her." Toby muttered.

"Nice one genius." Ben scoffed, "And, Trix, give us some credit will you?"

She held her arms tightly around herself, "What?"

"I said give us some credit. We let him go for a laugh. We're not going to let him get killed."

Honestly that one surprised her. Of course she knew that there was a cruel streak in all of them, and it wasn't that shocking that they would trick someone to a death wish like that. But at the same time, there was that rule still standing that no proxy was permitted to kill another. And the last she checked, Ben and Jeff were pretty good friends despite having opposing opinions for almost everything.

"You're not?"

Alice sighed dramatically, "I'll admit it'll be much more bearable around here without Jeffy-boy but lets face it, Slender would throw a fit." She shrugged, "We're still trying to choose who's the sucker to go and drag his ass back here before he gets us into some major shit."

Trixie exhaled, feeling somewhat relieved, but by no means but at ease. Toby on the other hand looked content, "Well if we can't pick I'm sure Slendy can handle it. He didn't seem to happy about it though..."

Ben hesitated, and then found that the only thing he could do was facepalm once again, "Tell me you didn't tell him."

Toby tilted his head, "Well okay... It'll be a lie but okay."

Trixie and Alice exchanged a look. One fearful and the other irritated. Alice being the latter, "For gods sake, Toby, who didn't you tell?"

"Um... I haven't seen Rake in a while..."

* * *

It was a simple job considering it was meant to be banned. Jeff wrenched the blade from the throat of the victim. A large male who already looked like he was on the wrong end of a few fights before Jeff even arrived there. But he matched the image in the drawing and that was all that mattered. Well, that, and the thrill of the kill running through Jeff's veins. His heart pounded against his ribs, blood pumping as if hungry for more adrenaline. But the most important factor about this job, in his mind anyway, was that there was no weird crap to go with it. Unlike the last time when there was Sickness in play, the victim didn't have blackened eyes, or claim to have friends in high places.

Truth be told, it may as well have been just some other job of any other day. Jeff found himself a little disappointed at the anti-climax of it all. The kill was fun, and as usual he relished in the feeling of the warm blood on his once white hoody starting to turn cold in the crisp night air. In a way he was lucky that the kill had taken place outdoors, and in an alleyway no less. It was isolated, dark, and quiet.

"Don't know what the big fuss was about. Fucking Slender paranoia..."

He wiped his knife clean on his front and slid it back into his hoody pocket. He was annoyed, in short. He had been expecting more of a fight. Something to give reason to why he wasn't supposed to be there. But there was none. Find guy, kill guy, go home. That was it. It was a bit of a let down. He huffed, breath turning to mist in the air. It had turned a lot colder all of a sudden. It looked like there was nothing more for him out here than to just head back to the hideout and have done with it.

The killer turned his back against the sliced body and started to make his way back out into the open, his hood pulled low over his head to cover most of his face. However, he hadn't walked more than five yards before a shrill cackle split the air. He froze, eyes narrowing as he tried to focus in on the source. Almost on cue, the laughing slowed, becoming broken and replaced with a sickening sound that could only be described as slurping. Like a parched wonderer relishing in an oasis pond. All senses on high alert, he cautiously turned around.

Instantly he darted back into attack stance, knife out and back against the wall ready to push forward if necessary, "What the fuck are you supposed to be?"

The body which was once laying alone in the dirt, throat slit deeply, was now partially hidden by a figure dressed in black. It was a girl, or rather a young woman, with long tresses of sleek ebony hair. She had very pale skin, practically moon-white which was mostly on show thanks to her skimpy black dress that complimented her model figure. Something Jeff had to take a moment to eye before continuing to look suspiciously at her. She was bent over the body, her long fingers trailing in the pool of blood forming on the victims chest. The slurping sound came from her mouth as she licked the liquid away greedily.

The female stopped when he yelled at her, speaking without fear, "Hello, Jeff..." her voice was sultry, but fractured. Like the shattered remains of a once perfect masterpiece. She giggled and stood up to look at him, "I was hungry... And I'm a fan of your work."

Jeff grimaced. It all suddenly made perfect sense to him who she was trying to be. The pure black emptiness of her eyes and heavily made-up face complete with black lipstick, even the tight black attire and pale skin, it was perfect and to the stereotype. This was one hell of an impressive cosplay. Jane the Killer. He hated that story with a passion. Not only was the story total fiction, but there was no such thing as Jane. She's just some fan character that fangirls like to dress as when they don't want to dress as him. He hated it. He hated that he now had a cosplayer in front of him right now, daring to approach fangirls... Wait. How long had she been here? If she saw the kill then she had the Sickness and he would have to kill her too just to avoid having another Trixie episode... And the fact that she was dressed as someone like that was just too ironic. Jane the killer was as real as Casper the friendly ghost.

He growled, stepping closer, "Piss off, I'm not in the mood for this shit."

"Oh?" she laughed again, "But I think I have some news for you that might put you in the mood again. Or... my mood anyway."

"What the fuck are you talking ab-Hey!"

The seemingly drunk cosplayer lurched forward with surprising speed, grabbing his wrist with one hand to stop his knife plunging down on her, "Shh... Let me look at you, Daddy's told me so much..."

"Did Daddy tell you that you were going to bite the dust tonight?" he snarled.

Out of morbid curiosity, or the stunned anger, he wasn't sure, but Jeff remained still, hand tightening on the handle of his knife ready to get payback as soon as he was done humouring her. She put her hand flat on his chest, the fresh blood from his kill warming her palm. Her black eyes were alight with a curiosity that seemed to be patronizing in their own way. Jeff eyed her with an air of warning to get the hell off, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't taking advantage of the closeness to eye her for her low neckline. Attempting to push her luck and extend the mockery, her other hand came up to his cheek to trace his scares. However this time she was cut short as he snatched out a free hand to grip her wrist and bend it backwards.

"I'd get the fuck away if I were you." He warned.

"No you wouldn't." She giggled, a distortion to her tone. She seemed to enjoy the pain he brought her as her bones threatened to crack. If anything, she leant into it, craving more, "Are you going to kill me Jeff? In my story I thought it was I who killed you." She blinked and shook her head as if scolding herself, "No, bad Jane, Daddy won't like that..."

He cocked an eyebrow as her hand on his chest flexed to grab his hoody, the blood staining her ivory skin, "Well that story is as big a bullshit as the others. Hate to burst your jacked up bubble but Jane isn't real. Props for the dedication." He shoved her away from him, "Now fuck off."

"She wasn't real, no." She stumbled backwards, a sadistic grin forming, "Until Daddy made it so."

"I don't actually give a shit. You're going to end up same as everyone else." He raised his knife and started to advance on her. Sickness or not, she was annoying him and he wanted her gone for good, "Sleeping..."

She didn't even flinch, "Oh? Then I guess everyone is just... like... me?"

With each word she grinned wider. Way to disfigured for a person of her frame. Jeff swung the knife down, aiming for her throat. There was a jolt, and a sickly squelch as the blade sank into her skin. But... there wasn't the satisfactory sound of a dying gasp of breath. Jeff stared at where the knife had embedded into her neck, and almost recoiled at the thick black ooze that trickled from it. He jarred back, pulling his knife free. Her pale skin seemed to seal itself instantly like a deformed set of stitches. She stroked her throat with a slim finger, gathering up the black blood and licking it clean with a moan almost erotic.

Her onyx eyes glinted unnaturally, teeth starting to show as she pulled back her shadow-stained lips further into a grin. Those teeth... So white and, jagged! Her canines seemed to resemble that of a python while the others were a sharp, rocky terrain of fangs and strength. Jeff narrowed his eyes, it wasn't the weirdest thing he'd seen but it certainly wasn't something he expected. Neither did he expect the black, pointed tongue that snaked out over her lips and smoothed over her teeth. As her tongue touched them, they seemed to dissolve back into the human shape that had once been. With another giggle, she leant upwards closer to his face.

"Well?"

He shoved her, forcing her to back down but neither one of them gave up on their grip be it on clothing or wrist, "What the fuck are you supposed to be?"

"Jane... Daddy's little girl, and he's so proud of me." She whispered dreamily, like she wasn't fully conscious of what was going on anymore, "Daddy promised me the world..."

"And who the fuck is your _Daddy?_"

She stopped, almost insulted by the question. But quickly recovered and pouted teasingly, "Daddy knows you... Daddy made me... Daddy made me all better... And Daddy promised me the world..."

The knife raised again, threatening to hit her skull this time, "Bullshit! Now answer the fucking question!"

"The story of Jane..." she sighed, drunk on her own twisted glee. Her grin widened, teeth pointing and fracturing once more into a monstrosity even he had to double-take on. Her eyes becoming sunken and damp, "Are you going to be the villain in my story? Daddy says you will. Oh... I'm so hungry..."

He yelled out as her teeth enlarged again, lunging at him. He just managed to duck out of the way, swiping his knife at her. Her skin slices at her shoulder blade, but once again healed almost instantly. She snarled, a sense of enjoyment altering her tone. She turned and grabbed the blade in her hand, half trying to wrench it from him, half trying to force him backwards. Jeff tugged harshly, her palm splitting open with a line of black blood to follow. It was as if the girl had Sickness running through her veins. She wasn't human!

"Go to sleep!" he spat, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back to hit the wall.

"You won't wake up!" She cackled, unphased by the blow and swiping her hand up to claw his face. Jane grinned as she drew blood. Her body slammed into his, pinning him against the wall, too strong for someone of her size, "Just like Liu..."

Jeff struggled against her, but his arms were trapped and she wasn't moving. It was like she'd turned her body to stone, refusing to move. The only satisfaction he felt was when his blade had stabbed into her abdomen from the force, "You don't talk about him!"

"Then don't talk." Her black tongue slithered out, seemingly oblivious to the wound. She leaned in closer, "Just let me feed..."

He struggled and twisted the blade harshly as she closed in on him. Yelling abuse and trying to avoid her hand that snaked to the back of his neck, seeing out his proxy brand. The last thing he felt, was her black nails, sinking into his skin. And then the images returned. His brother, lying in a pool of blood under him... His parents dead in the next room... All sanity lost... Everything ruined... And the lust to kill... To Go... to... sleep...

And then, just like that, he felt a colossal slap to the face.

"Wake up, Jeff, you son of a bitch!"

He jolted, the cold air stinging his eyes. Sore pain throbbing all over his body. A blurred figure crouched in front of him. He found himself on the ground. In a split second he darted out to grab the figure by the throat, "Get away from me!"

The figure struggled, gabbing his hoody and kneeing him in the gut, "It's me you bastard! Wake up!"

He hesitated, knowing only one person with that tone of voice, "Alice?"

"Who did you think?" she spat, glaring up at him with her cold blue eyes, "Get off."

He did so, panting for breath and holding the back of his neck, feeling pain burn down his spine, "Fuck... What are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass as always."

"I didn't need saving. Ah..." Another jolt of pain hit him, he looked around, "Where did she go?"

"You mean the goth chick? She ran for it." Alice sat up, brushing herself off and flicking her hair back, "Who was she anyway?"

He snarled, "You're not going to fucking believe this..."

"Try me."

Jeff was about to open his mouth, to tell her just what had happened. Who that demonic girl said she was. And who he had a pretty good idea of who her 'Daddy' was. But he was interrupted by a voice echoing in his head. Alice had the same reaction, freezing and looking more annoyed than anything. It was a voice they knew well. It was the same silky voice that had warned them all not to go out on this job in the first place. They looked to the side, seeing Slenderman looking down at them with an air of near anger.

_What... happened...?_

**A/N:**

**And now they're in trouble. So... Jane the killer isn't just a story like everyone thought. Zalgo's been busy... Is there more to this that meets the eye? Lets find out! XD Can't wait to hear from you all!**


End file.
